Sports Journalism in the UK

This book makes a critical intervention into debates about sport, journalism and the broader media industries in the UK, and reveals new insights into the working practices of sports media professionals.

The author argues for the importance of sports reporting as a central feature both of scrutinising the sports industry and of ensuring journalism is informative, entertaining and commercially viable. Drawing on more than 50 interviews, he also brings together a combination of content analyses, archival research and a field ethnography to explore the history and current practice of sports journalism in the UK across video, audio and written media. Themes include the precarity of being a sports journalist, even as sport has become more important economically to the media; insights into how social and online platforms are used by sports journalists and content creators, such as those working in-house for clubs and leagues; and gender and diversity in sports journalism, including the media prominence of women’s sport. It’s not just football: the book also features chapters examining media coverage of cricket, boxing, rugby league and swimming.

An original intervention offering new insights into sports reporting in a time of technological change and financial pressure on journalism, this book will interest not only sports journalism students, but also those working in sports business, management and events; journalism studies; media industry studies; media sport and sports studies.